An Uneasy Truce
by alittlesomething
Summary: Severus and Sirius serve a detention with Professor McGonagall when Snape's temper gets the best of him. Rated T for harsh language and spanking of a teen. One shot.


**AN: Rated T for swearing and spanking of a teen.  
**

It was all my fault; I had been needling the poor bastard all day. What can I say, Snivellus Snape brings out the absolute worst in me. It didn't help matters that I shared several classes with both him and a couple of my mates. I am nothing if not a complete showboat.

It all started with a tack, a simple little tack that had somehow found its way on to my desk. When I walked to my seat in Transfiguration class there it lay; I had no idea who had put it there but the fact that Snape sat two desks to my left made it's unexpected appearance too much of an opportunity to resist.

Big nosed and greasy haired, Severus Snape traipsed about school as if he were some high and mighty Dark Arts expert, more like World Class Twat if you asked me; he could do to be taken down a peg or two.

I had been bit early to class that day and so only a couple of other students had filtered in. I quickly stole my way to Snape's desk and placed the tack in the middle of his chair, hastily muttering a sticking charm for good measure. More than likely Snape would notice the tack before taking his seat but it was worth a shot. I walked back to my own desk, tossed my heavy book bag under it and waited for Snivellus to appear.

Snape slumped gloomily into the classroom, head lowered, books held against his chest like some bloody, ugly girl, and glowering at everyone who dared look at him; in other words, in his usual way. I caught his eye and offered him my most sincere smile. He sneered in return and grumbled something evil sounding under his breath shaking his head. Without pausing to look at his chair he plopped himself down heavily, dropping his armload of books onto his desk with a resounding thud.

As soon as his bum hit the seat he shot back up yelping with surprise, both hands clutching his rear end. The look of sheer confusion and alarm on his face had me immediately bursting into barking guffaws, I couldn't have stopped myself even if I had tried. The other students merely looked confused and all eyes were on Snape who was now blushing deeply, embarrassed at being the center of attention. My laughter amidst the curious expressions caused Snape to correctly assess who was the source of his discomfort and he snarled at me showing his crooked, yellow teeth. He grabbed the first thing at hand, his heavy Transfigurations text, and heaved it towards my laughing face.

Unfortunately for Violet Harrington who sat behind me, Sniv's aim was completely pants and instead of hitting me the heavy text caught her dead in the center of her face. An audible crunch, like glass underfoot, could be heard as it connected and with a high pitched shriek she clapped her hands to her nose. Blood coursed from between her clasped fingers and I heard Snape utter a worried, "oh no".

It was just then, of course, that Professor McGongall chose to walk into the classroom.

Three hours later I was standing with Snape in Professor McGonagall's office, rags in hand and charged with a long afternoon of dusting her many bookshelves without the use of magic. McGonagall stood before us glowering; I'd never before seen her as angry as she had been when she walked into the Transfiguration class that afternoon and took in the chaotic scene. That we lived to see detention at all was an amazement, I thought for sure we were both dead where we stood.

"I am very disappointed in you Mr. Black." She lectured, looking down her nose at me. "I expect students from my house to comport themselves with maturity and dignity at all times. That prank you pulled this morning was completely juvenile and not at all amusing. I'm ashamed to say that you come from my House at the moment."

Snape shot me a sneer which I didn't dare return, history had taught me that when McGonagall was on the war path it was best to keep your head down and your lip zipped. Apparently Snape hadn't yet learned that lesson.

"As for you, Mr. Snape," He snapped back to attention and seemed to shrink under her unwavering glare, "what you did today was inexcusable! Poor Violet had to spend the afternoon in the infirmary getting her broken nose fixed through no fault of her own. You had better learn to control that terrible temper of yours or it's going to get you into trouble, young man!"

"Yes, m'am." He mumbled, his eyes fixed on his battered shoes. Professor McGonagall turned and walked to the door pausing to look back at us. "I expect both of you young men to behave yourselves while I'm gone and concentrate on the task at hand. I will be back shortly." Without another word she left the room leaving Snivellus and me to get started.

I surveyed the work ahead of us; McGonagall had lived a long time and had traveled extensively and her collection showed it. Her office shelves were crammed full of books and a sundry of assorted, fussy little knick knacks, sculptures, and curiosities. Damn that Snape! Had he only hexed me or even if he had thrown a punch at me we probably had gotten away with a few hundred lines and a stern talking to instead of a few long of hours of back breaking labor.

Snape, being the supreme swot that he was, had already crouched down and began dusting a lower shelf. His being a complete prat and getting right to work annoyed me to no end and I decided to have a bit of fun with the greasy little git to pass the time and get my back a bit for having to spend an entire afternoon cleaning some old bird's gee-gaws.

"So, how's your arse, Snivellus, still a bit sore, is it?" I asked with mock concern.

"Leave me alone, Black." He muttered flatly, not looking at me. Instead he began removing the books from a lower shelf to dust underneath.

I grinned; I could tell by the way his back had stiffened that my words had irritated him and it was taking some measure of his resolve not to respond with an insult or a hex. Never one to let well enough alone I pressed on seeing how far I could push him. Snape had a notoriously short fuse and I often took great pleasure in lighting it.

"So, how's Lily doing, Snivellus?" I asked casually running my dust cloth over a brass bust of Merlin. "Still taking pity on you by hanging around with you, is she?"

Snape once again refused to respond, he simply began replacing the books back on the now clean shelf with a sharp bang. I imagined he was seeing my face every time he slammed one of the heavy tomes back into place.

I had noticed the way Snape gazed at Lily when he thought no one was looking and I knew he fancied her. I also knew that he had an icicle's chance in Hades of ever being anything more than a friend to her. I decided to twist that particular knife in his scrawny back.

"So Sniv, is it true that Lily is dating Bernard Crowne? I figure she must tell you about that sort of thing, you being her best girlfriend and all." I sighed dramatically, "Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, eh Snivellus? It's bollocks I know, being the ugly friend of the pretty girl."

"Shut. Up. Black." He growled at me through gritted teeth. I could see that my jibes were getting to him and his resolve was quickly crumbling.

"Oh that's right!" I slapped my forehead. "I wouldn't know anything about that, now would I? No, I can't say I've ever had that particular problem. I wonder if maybe I should give ol' Lily a whirl one of these days, what do you think Sniv?" I leaned against the bookshelf casually. "Me and Lily hitting the Three Broomsticks for a few butterbeers on a Saturday afternoon, have a few laughs and then maybe a nice long snog by the lake to round things out. Who knows? Maybe Lily will let me go a little further maybe I'd get a chance to take a peek at what's under her…"

I didn't have a chance to finish my thought as Snape had scrambled to his feet growling at me furiously. "Shut it, you twat!" He shrieked and he grabbed a small crystalline flower off one of the shelves closest to him and lobbed it at me full force. I instinctively ducked as the glass hit the shelf next to my head and exploded into a million colorful fragments which rained down noisily to the floor.

Snape rounded on me; he had pulled his wand and was pointing it at my face, his arm trembling. His lips were pulled back in a snarl and his nostrils were flaring; he looked mad with rage. I began reaching into my robe to draw my own wand, expecting to be hexed three meters deep into the wall, when an enraged shout came from behind us.

"Severus Snape!"

We cringed in unison at the shout and Snape's eye grew wide as he took in the figure of Professor McGonagall who was standing in the doorway looking absolutely livid. His eyes darted between her and the scattered pieces of crystal dotting the floor. He swallowed hard and immediately began trying to explain himself.

"Professor McGonagall! I…I didn't…I just…"

"Enough!" She snapped. "Do not try to lie to me young man! I saw you throw it!"

She strode into the room briskly and grasped Snape by the ear; he cried out in surprise and his wand clattered to the floor.

"That piece had been given to me by my mother when I was just a young girl! It had survived many years and many moves only to be destroyed in moments by a bad tempered brat! Well, Mr. Snape, I for one, have had enough of your atrocious behavior for one day!" She lectured as she walked him, still holding him by the ear to her desk and when she reached it she let go of him.

McGonagall just stood silently for a moment, her palms resting on the desk top slowly shaking her head. I could tell she was attempting to regain her composure. Snape must have figured it out too since he began to finger his tie fretfully.

"I have tried giving you a punishment suitable for a young man of your age but still you persist in behaving like a small, spoiled child." She said. "Well then Mr. Snape, if you're going to insist on behaving like a small child then perhaps I need treat you like one."

She opened the bottom drawer of her desk and took out an ornately decorated wooden box and from the box produced a large, wooden hairbrush. It was a handsome dark wood with a large flat back. Honestly, it looked pretty intimidating. Snape must have agreed since he looked decidedly more nervous than he had just a moment ago.

"Do you know what this is Mr. Snape?" She asked him, tapping the flat of the brush against her palm.

"Erm, uh…um it's a hairbrush." Snape's eyes flitted momentarily to me and I made sure he knew that I was watching what was going on. He bit his lower lip and turned back to McGonagall.

"Yes, it is a hairbrush, but a most unusual one. It was created by a Professor Pennywick back in the days when corporal punishment was routine here at Hogwarts. You see, when this brush is applied to the bottom of an unruly student no spell, potion, or salve will mitigate its effects. In fact the student in question can be assured that sitting down will be an uncomfortable endeavor for at least a day or two. Rather a necessity when even a second year student knows a simple healing spell." She looked very pointedly at Snape from over her glasses. "I think today is a fine day to find out if Professor Pennywick's tool is still up to its task, don't you?"

Professor McGonagall pulled the chair out from behind her desk and sat down.

"Mr. Snape, come over to me, remove your robe, and take down your trousers and pants."

Snape turned a rather ugly shade of pink and looked completely horrified. He took a step backward shaking his head in disbelief. "What? No, no…you can't…look, I, I'm sorry! It won't happen again!" His hands went protectively to his rear end.

Professor McGonagall shook her head having none of it. "The time for apologies has passed Mr. Snape. Now come over to me, remove your robes and lower your trousers and pants."

A sly smile spread across my face and I turned myself away so Professor McGonagall wouldn't see me grinning like a bloody Cheshire Cat. Well, well, slimy little Snivellus Snape was going to get a spanking on the bare from the head of Gryffindor house.

Oh Gods! Why wasn't James here to see this? How I desperately wished I had a pensieve so I could share this with my mates; Hell I could probaly sell tickets to most of the school to watch Snape getting his hide tanned! I made sure to look as busy as possible dusting a copy of _Influential Wizards of the 13__th__ Century Vol. II_. I didn't want Professor McGonagall to notice my presence and give me the boot before the show even began. I watched as much as I could from my peripheral vision.

Snape, for his part, had turned an even deeper shade of crimson and now looked like a freshly pulled beet. His Adam's apple bobbed as he gulped nervously and took another step backward.

"But, but, you can't do this!" He bleated, his voice rising in panic. "Hogwarts doesn't allow physical punishments!"

"On the contrary," Professor McGonagall countered, "while it is true the caretaker can no longer whip students or chain them in the tool shed during detentions it is well within the bounds of the rules for a professor to administer a spanking to a student in need of one and you, Mr. Snape," she sighed, "are desperately in need of one."

"No! I, I don't believe it, Professor Dumbledore would never allow this!" He had taken yet another step back and almost seemed to be slowly working his way toward the office door. I rolled my eyes. Old Sniv had no idea who he was fooling with; if he kept this up he'd be lucky if all he had to deal with was a sore arse for a couple of days.

"Oh, I plan to tell Professor Dumbledore all about this when I see him at dinner this evening; I think he will agree that any punishment you received was well earned." Professor McGongall replied coolly.

At the mention of Professsor Dumbledore, Snape's jaw dropped damn near to his navel, I also didn't think it was possible for his blush to get any deeper but it did. He looked like he wanted to hide under the nearest available rock and never come out.

"Then make him leave!" He shouted suddenly, pointing at me angrily. I looked up from polishing a small statue of a dragon battling a chimera with an innocent and confused expression as if I hadn't been paying attention the entire time. Snape glared at me; if looks could kill I would have been a small pile of smoking ashes on the flagstones. "He shouldn't be allowed to be here! He shouldn't be allowed to see…"

Professor McGonagall cut him off angrily. "Perhaps you should have thought about Mr. Black's presence before throwing another temper tantrum! Now do as I say this instant."

"I won't…I just…I won't!" He shook his head, sounding for all the world like a petulant child refusing to eat his vegetables. He crossed his arms in front of his chest in an attempt to look resolute and failed miserably.

"Mr. Snape, I am finished arguing with you about this." Professor McGonagall said slowly and dangerously, she was beyond furious. I knew she was going to completely blow her stack if Snape didn't obey and quickly. "Now come over here right now, remove your robe and lower your trousers and pants or you are going to be very sorry, young man! My patience with you is at its very end!" As if to emphasis the point she cracked the flat of the brush against her palm.

Snape looked as if he were about to protest again and then thought better of it and instead stomped his foot in frustration. Stomped his foot! I would have to remember that little maneuver the next time Snivellus pulled that high and mighty act of his. Snape's shoulders sagged with the realization that he would not be able to argue or bargain his way out of punishment and with slow, shuffling steps he walked to where Professor McGonagall was sitting.

With trembling hands he slowly undid the clasps of his robes and left them in a black puddle on the floor. His shaking fingers fumbled with the button and zip of his trousers and it took him a few tries to undo them. His overlarge trousers slid to his bony knees leaving him clad only in his dingy knickers and shirttails. He hooked his thumbs on the waistband of his pants to pull them down but first stopped and looked beseechingly at Professor McGonagall.

"Please, professor, please don't make me…"

She held up her hand. "Pants and then over my lap, I am done asking, Mr. Snape."

With a shuddering breath he lowered his pants to mid thigh and immediately covered his front with his hands, blushing furiously. Professor McGonagall didn't wait for him to comply with the second part of her instructions and instead rose from her seat, took Snape by his upper arm and guided him over her knees.

He gasped as she wrapped one arm around his waist tucking him close and tipped one knee down raising his small, white bum, presenting herself with a convenient target. His lanky form hung awkwardly over her lap, his fingertips grazing the floor while his toes hovered above it.

Oh Gods, why, why, why wasn't James here? It was all I could do to keep from bursting into whooping cackles at the sight of his deeply red face, complete with mortified expression and bitten bottom lip contrasted by his pale, bare rump hoisted high. It felt like Christmas and my birthday rolled into one.

"Wait!" Snape cried as he saw McGonagall raise the brush; even draped bare arsed over the head of Gryffindor House's knees he couldn't resist trying one last ditch effort to escape. She really should have awarded the little bastard house points for persistence in the face of overwhelming odds. "Please, Professor McGonagall, please! I'll serve detention for a whole month! H…how about an essay! A really long essay on the importance of…"

He was brought up short as Professor McGonagall brought the brush down in a solid smack across his arse. Snape yelped like a kicked dog and white knuckled the chair leg. She must have had a lot of power behind her swings as the slap echoed loudly in the large office. The first crack was swiftly followed by more. She was all business, not stopping to lecture or scold and instead keeping up a brisk pace of well placed swats with the brush.

I had to hand it to Snape; if it were me getting the trashing he was I would have been howling within the first ten blows. However, he bore his punishment silently, with only the occasional pained hiss escaping from between his clenched teeth betraying any effect the vigorous spanking was having on him.

It wasn't until what must have been the twentieth hard smack and when his bum had been turned a solid sheet of crimson that matched my house scarf that a quiet, little sniffle came from him, followed by a whimper, which quickly blossomed into a full bodied sob. Tears ran down his cheeks in twin streams and his shoulders shook. It was only then Professor McGonagall broke her own silence.

"Why are you being given this spanking Mr. Snape?" She gave him two sound slaps to the roundest part of his bottom as if to punctuate her question.

Snape gasped and fighting through hitching breaths stammered, "Be-because…I…because I have a b-bad t-temper…"

"That is correct Mr. Snape", said Professor McGonagall firmly and gave him a very smart smack on the under curve of his bum. Snape replied with wail of pain. "You have a terrible temper and you have been very naughty today because of it. I have a good mind to write your mother and tell her what happened today."

Snape began to cry even harder at the mention of his mum. "No, professor, please!," he blurted out, "Please don't write my mummy!"

I stifled a snort of derision at Snape's childish use of "mummy"; the aura of darkness he had so carefully crafted around himself at Hogwarts was quickly being taken apart by this little performance. Damned if I was ever going to bat an eye at his threats again! Next time he went to hex me I'd just threaten to tell his mummy, I snickered to myself.

"I will spare her from the knowledge of how shabbily her son has behaved today." Professor McGonagall scolded. "But, I have never been so ashamed of student's behavior before! I expected so much better from a boy of your intelligence Mr. Snape! If I ever catch you behaving in that manner again I will not hesitate to repeat this lesson! Do you understand?"

When he didn't respond right away she gave him another hard smack with the brush on the center of his bottom which was such a bright red that it looked like it might glow in the dark. My own bum tingled in sympathy; it looked to me as if Snape would be sitting rather daintily for an entire week never mind two days!

"I expect an answer."

"Yes! Yes! I understand! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He blubbered wetly. "I didn't mean to disappoint you, professor! I'm sorry! I won't do it again…" He trailed off in a strangled sob and his body shook with misery.

"I do hope so Mr. Snape," The professor replied crisply, "but just to be sure I think you will need ten more right where you're most likely to remember them."

At this Snape gasped, all thought of holding onto any of his dignity must have fled his mind as he began to kick his legs ineffectually and beg through his sobs. "No! No! Please professor! No more! It hurts!"

"Yes Mr. Snape," Professor McGonagall replied dryly. "That is the point of a spanking."

Without further ado she brought the brush down in ten brisk slaps to the under curve of Snape's bum, right where he would have to sit. Each blow caused him to whimper piteously and kick his feet. They weren't light smacks either, she hadn't been joking when she said she meant him to remember them. I found myself feeling uncomfortable every time Snape cried out. On the tenth smack she laid the brush down on the floor and rested her hand on the small of Snape's back.

"I'm sorry," Snape warbled in a small, watery voice, "I won't do it again, I'm sorry…I...I'll be good." He once again broke down into loud, childlike sobs, hanging limply over Professor McGonagall's knee clutching her robes. He sounded so young, hurt, and ashamed that it was very nearly painful to listen to.

I lowered my eyes to the floor suddenly feeling about two centimeters tall. I hadn't expected to feel anything but a malicious glee at witnessing greasy little Severus Snape getting his arse warmed but instead of glee I felt a sick flutter in my chest that felt a Hell of a lot like guilt. I flushed with the memory of my plan to find a pensieve and share Snape's humiliation with whomever wanted to see it. Damn him! This was supposed to be fun and a good story to laugh about with my mates; I wasn't supposed to be standing here feeling sorry for the stupid little git.

Professor McGonagall allowed Snape to lie over her knees for a few minutes while he wept. She patted him gently on the small of his back while he cried, offering him neither words of comfort or condemnation. When his sobs had subsided to sniffles and hitches, then she gently helped him to his feet. He just stood for a moment with his head lowered, black curtains of hair obscuring his face. His hands were balled into fists at his sides and he cried quietly unmindful of anything other than his own misery.

Professor McGonagall noticed his immodesty but said nothing and merely began pulling up his pants for him. At this he snapped to and pulled them up the rest of the way himself, hissing in pain as the waistband of his pants skated over the reddened flesh of his backside. Once he had dressed Professor McGonagall took him by the upper arm and led him to the corner across from me. She turned him until the tip of his nose was touching the faded wallpaper.

"You are to spend the rest of your detention here thinking about your behavior and how you can do better in the future. Then you are to go to your dormitory, wash up, put on your pajamas and go to straight to bed. I do not want to see you in the Great Hall at dinner. If I do I will give you a refresher of this lesson and I will not wait until we are in private to do so. Do you understand me Mr. Snape?"

Snape looked up at Professor McGonagall, his eyes still shining with unshed tears. "But professor, I have homework to do, I'm going to get in trouble if I don't do it."

The great swot! If I had been punished like he had been I would feel entitled to no homework for at least a week! Maybe a week off from classes too!

Professor McGonagall nodded, "I understand that Mr. Snape, I will inform your other teachers that you are to be excused from your assignments this evening as you are being punished by me."

Snape blanched at this. "Professor McGonagall, please don't tell anyone that you, you…" He couldn't bring himself to say the word.

McGonagall shook her head. "I'm sorry, but you have no one but yourself to blame for your current predicament. Perhaps a little humility along with a smarting bottom will make you more inclined to think before you act."

"Yes m'am." Snape turned back to the corner and I could tell by the way his shoulders shook that he had begun crying in earnest again.

I could hardly blame him for it, getting what was probably the worst spanking in Hogwarts history, being stood in the corner, sent to bed without dinner, and to top it off by having it announced to all of your teachers at the head table. It was enough to make anyone bawl like a three year old. I made a mental note to never push old McGonagall too far ever again, she had a mean streak a kilometer wide, she had.

Professor McGonagall turned to me as if suddenly remembering that I was still in the room. I jumped guiltily at her unexpected attention.

"I do believe you have done enough lollygagging for one day Mr. Black!" She snapped. "I expect every one of these shelves to be clean before I return and if they are not I will extend your detention until they are!"

She opened the door to leave but stopped with her hand on the knob and turned back to me.

"And do not think to use magic to help you as I will detect it. If I do, you will find yourself in the very same position Mr. Snape is currently in. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." I replied, wincing at my poor choice of words. "I mean…yes m'am, I understand."

She didn't say anything, merely narrowed her eyes at me and then left without another word, shutting the door behind her with a crisp snap.

I sighed heavily; there was still so much to do and a very short time to do it in. Earlier I would have once again cursed Snape for getting me into this in the first place but I could no longer bring myself to be angry at him. Instead I resigned myself to a long evening of work. I stole a look at Snape where he stood in the corner, only the occasional hitching breath reminding me that he was in the room.

How different he seemed from the Snape I dealt with every day during class. Gone was the sneering, above-it-all attitude and in its place was a contrite child. He looked soft and vulnerable, much younger than his fifteen years. He stood in the corner sniffling, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand and, occasionally reaching up to rub at his backside gingerly.

He noticed me watching him and I expected an acrid remark followed by an insult to my mother. But instead he said nothing, just lowered his wet black eyes from mine and turned back to the wall.

Merlin! Professor McGonagall had managed the impossible; she had humbled Severus Snape to the point where he couldn't even muster a good insult for Sirius Black!

The guilty flutter took up residence in my chest again as he turned away from me. I cleared my throat and said."Look Snape, I won't tell anyone that she…that she did that to you."

"Yes, sure, Black," He spat back at me. "I bet you'll go running right back to your friends and give them a detailed play by play…" He choked on that last and broke down in tears again. He swiped at his eyes angrily and turned back to the corner.

I sighed. Why should I expect him to believe me? After all, hadn't I planned to do just what he was accusing me of? If I were him I wouldn't believe me either.

"Seriously Snape, I mean it. I won't tell anyone, not Remus, not James, and not Peter, especially not Peter."

He groaned as I ticked off their names and I felt the urge to go to him and give him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. I didn't, he would have probably hexed my balls off if I made a move to touch him. Instead I just repeated, "I won't tell anyone, I swear."

He heaved a heavy breath and sniffed again. "Does she usually…um, punish you all like, like that? Slughorn has never...you know, to us." He blushed furiously and avoided my eye. More than likely he was waiting for me to start taking the piss with him; I surprised myself by not fulfilling his expectations.

I shook my head. "No, I think you're a special case, Snape. But then, I don't think I've ever seen her that cheesed off before either." I went back to cleaning but soon heard a low rumbling coming from the corner. Snape pulled a grimace.

"Hungry?" I asked.

He nodded wearily. "I skipped lunch this afternoon to study for my Arithmacy test." He leaned the top of his head against the wall. "I thought I could make up for it at dinner."

"Hold on a tick." I said and began rummaging through the pockets of my robe. I produced a bag of Bertie Bott's and an Aero bar. Honeydukes kept a small stash of Muggle sweets as novelty items but I occasionally bought them when I wanted a sweet that didn't squeak indignantly or try to escape when I bit into it. I walked over and showed them to Snape who eyed the offerings with suspicion.

"Here, take them. It's a Muggle chocolate bar," I said, pointing to the Aero bar. "it's really very good."

"I know what an Aero bar is Black!" Snape snapped but then caught himself and looked chagrined. "I mean, I just haven't seen one in a while is all." I handed him the sweets.

"It's not much but it's something." I smiled. "And if you get a vomit flavored Bertie's first thing it'll put you off food for the rest of the night so there's that. I would wait to tuck into those though, McGonagall could be back any minute and it wouldn't do to for her to see you stuffing your face with sweets after she's sent you to bed without dinner."

Snape blushed once again at this mention of his punishment and I immediately regretted saying it. However, he merely pocketed the sweets and gave me a curt nod.

"That was...that was right decent of you Black." He mumbled.

I shrugged. "Sometimes we blokes have to stick together, even if we're not usually mates. By the by, that stuff I said about Lily, I didn't mean it. I was just being a, well I was just being a bit of a prick is all. I meant nothing by it." I judiciously left out the part about how it was my mate James he needed to be concerned with; Lily was not my personal cup of tea but she sure was his.

"I know…" He said quietly although I had a feeling my cruel jibes and the truth behind them still stung. The silence began to grow uncomfortable between us so I turned back to my task and Snape turned back to his corner. Every once in a while I stopped to watch him and saw him shifting uncomfortably on his feet and rubbing his eyes tiredly.

We stayed this way for the rest of detention, he trying to stay on his feet and me busily trying to get all those damned shelves cleaned before Professor McGonagall made her reappearance. As it was it looked like I was to miss dinner that night as well.

Professor McGonagall returned to her office just as my lower back had begun to ache from stooping to the bottom shelves and my right arm was growing cramped. She walked up to Snape directly and laid her hand on his shoulder.

"Severus?" she asked softly, "How are you feeling?"

He looked up at her to answer and instead he gave a large, jaw cracking yawn in reply. Professor McGonagall smiled gently in return.

"I thought you might be tired." She turned him to face her and tilted his face up to look at her. "Severus, I want you to know that I truly was sorry to have to punish you so harshly, it is only because I believe that you are capable of so much better that I did. Do you understand?"

Snape nodded and looked away from her shamefacedly. "I really am sorry that I broke something that was important to you." He whispered.

"I know you are, Severus." She clapped him softly on the shoulder. "Go on then, go have a bath, and then go right to bed; I have already spoken to your other professors privately. Please do not disappoint me and disobey."

"I will professor, I promise." Snape trudged off towards the door giving me one backward glance. I knew he was still worried that I would tell everyone what had happened during detention. He needn't be, I'd told him I wouldn't and I had meant it. I might be a bastard in most respects but I always kept my word.

After Snape had left Professor McGonagall sat down at her desk, pulled out her quill and began grading papers. She didn't bother asking me if I was finished, it was painfully obvious that I wasn't.

I couldn't help thinking about Snape going to bed hungry; the little git was pretty thin as it was and his gut had sounded like a growling hippogriff while he had been standing in the corner. I approached Professor McGonagall's desk and she looked up at me questioningly. "Yes Mr. Black?"

"Um, ma'm I just wanted to let you know that I'm pretty sure Snape missed lunch today." I looked my feet uneasily. "I think he was studying in the library, m'am. So, uh, he's going to be pretty hungry…"

When I glanced up I saw that Professor McGonagall was looking at me over her glasses with a bemused expression.

"You can trust that Mr. Snape will find a sandwich and a glass of milk waiting for him on his night table when he is through with his bath, but I do appreciate your concern for a fellow student."

She laid down her quill and steepled her hands in front of her fixing me with a knowing gaze.

"You can also trust that I'm 100 percent certain that Mr. Snape's outburst in this office was not unprovoked; was it Mr. Black?"

My first impulse was to lie through my teeth to her, after all I did not want a taste of what she had meted out to Snape. However as soon as the thought had crossed my mind, it left. Old McGonagall knew the score and lying to her would have been an exercise in futility.

"No, m'am, it wasn't." I said sheepishly trying to hide the rising dread in my voice. After all, that evil looking brush of Pennywick's was still laying in plain view on her desk.

She shook her head sadly. "I wish I could say I was surprised." She stood up and walked over to me, hands clasped behind her back. "With that in mind I think you and I should start seeing more of each other. Quite a bit more, I think. Don't you Mr. Black?"

Unsure as to what the right answer was I just stared at her waiting for the hammer to come down.

"Mr. Black," she continued, "if I were you I would cancel any weekend plans you may have for oh…let's say the next six weeks. I have some organizing and filing to do both here and in the classroom and I think you would be just perfect for the job."

Six weeks! I opened my mouth to protest but shut it just as quickly. Instead, I meekly offered. "But, Quidditch try-outs are this Saturday, professor."

She looked down at me with an expression bordering on pity. "Then I guess you will just have to learn how to be an enthusiastic Quidditch supporter as you watch from the stands as you will have your hands quite full next Saturday and for a few Saturdays after that." She inspected her office shelves and nodded. "I believe these are tidy enough although not nearly complete, you may go Mr. Black and resume your work tomorrow afternoon."

I wanted to argue, to bargain, or to offer to take the same punishment Snape had gotten, anything! But Professor McGonagall had already retaken the seat at her desk and was busily marking papers. I had been dismissed and that was that. I grabbed my book bag from the corner I had tossed it in when I first arrived and stalked out McGonagall's office mumbling a carefully polite "goodnight".

Six weeks! James was going to give me no end of shit for missing out on Quidditch this year, not to mention the teasing I could look forward to from Peter. Damn it to Hell, this whole detention business had gotten completely cocked up! If Snape were in front of me right now I could wring his scrawny neck with my bare hands! Fuming, I trudged toward the Gryffindor dormitory, my earlier charity with regards to Snivellus quickly dissipating.

Minerva McGonagall watched the retreating back of Sirius Black and heaved a heavy sigh. Six weeks. It was not how she had planned to spend her free time for the next month and a half. Oh well, she thought, duty is duty. She picked up Pennywick's brush, placed it in its box, and slid the box back into the bottom drawer of her desk. A rueful smile crossed her face and shook her head as she considered the likelihood she would be be making use of it again very soon. Probably within the next six weeks.


End file.
